Continuing on with our look at management and stress in the workplace, let's investigate the things that we can do to combat it so our people can perform at their optimum level.
Remember that stress is generally the belief that what is expected of someone can't in reality be done.
So the question that needs to be answered is this: How can we as managers reduce that perception or reality for our workers?
The good news is that it isn't as complicated as it seems. The issues that cause the majority of workplace stress are not really much different from what causes failure to accomplish business goals. The underlying problem is the business culture and purpose of the company.
We talk about it all the time here, but the majority of managers and companies struggle tremendously in understanding what all of that leads to.
What are some of the major causes of workplace stress?
1. Conflicting Priorities
We talk a lot about that here. They could be conflicts in the projects themselves. It could be conflicts between private and corporate life and family. The thing that needs to be understood is that these conflicts can cause enormous stress in a person because they are forced to choose between one thing and another.
2. Unrealistic Deadlines
This usually comes about because someone wants to make themselves look good in management so they over-promise, which makes their people look like they've underperformed; again, a big stress producer.
3. Too much work
Work overload is a big factor in stress in the workplace. This is a cousin of unrealistic deadlines; the two go together. We've seen this happen a lot lately with companies publicly announcing deadlines that demand workers to be overworked so much that it brings them to high stress levels.
4. Schizophrenic Values
You want to see stress in people, be schizophrenic in what a company stands for. I've seen many companies change at the drop of a hat to the new, "in" thing to embrace and bring complete confusion to the workforce as they no longer have no idea what it is the company stands for. This can especially hinder building any type of team atmosphere within the company.
5. Internal Conflict
Conflict between workers is another stress creator. We all know that healthy discussion and disagreement are a part of the growth of a company and our people, but when it crosses the line into personal conflicts, it can tear apart a company as people take sides and lines are drawn. It's one of the most discouraging and damaging components of stress if it's left to grow.
6. Bad Environment
What about the physical environment of the workplace itself? Is it worker friendly? Safe? When people arrive is there a sense of welcome? Is it kept clean with pride? Is it something worth wanting to take care of? Is it warm enough, cool enough, etc.
As you can see, all of this is able to be managed. It must start with the leadership and go on down to our people. We must all be on the same page with these things. If we aren't, we need to sit down with one another until we come to the place where we are. Our ability to retain and attract great workers, along with how people view us from the outside, are what is at stake; that, and our own stress levels, if we don't face these crucial elements of a healthy workplace.
Links to 3-part series:
Management and Stress - Part One
Management and Stress - Part 2 - Positive Stress
Management and Stress - Part 3 - 6 things we can do to change it!
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